WNBA nabs unexpected partner amid record popularity
There's something to be said about striking while the iron is hot, and right now, the WNBA is doing all it can to capitalize on the moment and the sudden infusion of popularity and talent it has experienced over the last two years.
WNBA viewership has experienced a renaissance in recent years, thanks in no small part to Caitlin Clark's Steph Curry-like 3-point range and a more exciting brand of basketball across the entire league, driven by stars like A'ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier.
That renaissance has led to record viewership for the league, and now one of its broadcast partners is leveraging that popularity into new opportunities on non-traditional networks.
Versant expands broadcast partnership with the WNBA
On Wednesday, June 17, CNBC, the business news channel, revealed that it will simulcast 11 WNBA games this upcoming season as part of Versant Media Group's, its parent company, agreement with the league.
The expanded broadcast agreement comes less than a year after the league reached a new 11-year media rights agreement with Versant for USA Network to broadcast at least 50 games per season starting in 2026.
USA Network has a flagship Wednesday night WNBA doubleheader broadcast and the network has been using CNBC to air the start of games should the first matchup run long. Now, CNBC will be broadcasting the full second game of the doubleheader.
"We have a Wednesday night franchise," USA Sports President Matt Hong told CNBC Wednesday. "And what started as our promise to WNBA viewers that they won't miss a minute of the action, and that second games would start on CNBC, became something that we worked on internally to just televise the whole second game of the doubleheader on Wednesday nights on CNBC going forward."
So fans of Shark Tank reruns will have to go elsewhere on Wednesday nights, because the WNBA likely draws more eyeballs.
Versant was created from a Comcast spinoff of a suite of domestic cable networks previously owned by NBCUniversal, including USA Network, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), CNBC, Golf Channel, E!, Syfy, and Oxygen.
And while broadcast cable television has been declining for the last decade, thanks to streaming and cord-cutting, live sports have been one of the few bright spots for the industry.
It seems to be the only thing Americans are still willing to watch live en masse.
WNBA capitalizes on record viewership with rich new TV deals
The 2025 WNBA regular and postseason were the most-watched ever on ESPN, thanks in no small part to its visibility across ABC, ESPN, and ESPN 2.
The WNBA on ESPN averaged 1.3 million viewers across 25 regular-season games, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel. Across 24 postseason games, the WNBA averaged 1.2 million viewers, also making it the most-watched WNBA postseason on ESPN ever. The Finals averaged 1.5 million viewers across four networks, marking its second-best viewership ever on ESPN, behind only the 2024 Finals.
While the 2024 and 2025 WNBA Finals averaged the most viewers across all the games, Game 3 of the 1999 WNBA Finals is the most-watched game in the league's history, with 3.25 million people, when Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper led the Houston Comets to a 2 the New York Liberty
Perhaps even more promising for the league, the WNBA drew a total of 3.15 million paid fans in 2025 for an average of 11,148 attendees per game, a 34% year over year increase.
ESPN will continue to broadcast the WNBA, but now it splits playoff and finals games with Versant.
The WNBA tipped off its 30th season in May, and Wednesday's game between the New York Liberty and Chicago Sky will be broadcast on USA Network, and the late game between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury will be simulcast on CNBC.
"We're incredibly proud to expand our multi-year partnership with the WNBA," Hong said last year after signing the deal with the league. "USA Network will be a destination for WNBA viewers all season long, as we showcase the star power across the league in our marquee Wednesday night doubleheaders and build toward the intensity of the WNBA Playoffs and WNBA Finals."
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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 2:23 PM.